Siaya Governor James Orengo is speaking about what he calls ‘shame’ on the Judiciary, following Monday’s ruling by the Supreme Court which upheld the election of William Ruto as president.
Senior Counsel Orengo, who was in the team representing Azimio La Umoja One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga in the petition, on Sunday called out the seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome, accusing them of making a ‘political’ judgement.
“Chief Justice Koome you have brought shame to the Judiciary by rendering a judgement that in the eyes of the ordinary people who fought for you to make sure a Chief Justice can have independence,” Orengo lamented.
“You have brought shame to the people of the Republic of Kenya!”
The apex court unanimously upheld the election of President-elect William Ruto in the August 9 polls and shut down allegations by Azimio’s lawyers that Forms 34A on the IEBC server were tampered with by deported Venezuelan national Jose Camargo.
CJ Koome labelled the claims “no more than hot air” and singled out lawyer Julie Soweto.
The Chief Justice also pointed out that the logs presented by the petitioners were “outright forgeries”.
According to Orengo, however, Monday’s ruling was not judicial, but “political and meant to serve a purpose that has nothing to do with the law.”
“The person who wrote that judgement has done a great injustice to the rule of law. I respect the court, and I have practised law for a very long time. A lot of the judges in the Supreme Court are my juniors,” he said.
He specially took issue with the court’s choice of words in the ruling, temring it shameful.
“Judges speak in words that are measured so that even the loser in a court of law feels like justice has been done,” said Orengo.
“Not even a baraza presided by a Chief would use the kind of language that was used at the Supreme Court. Shame to you judges!”
He added: “But what gives me peace is that we are going to fight and fight until justice is done… We are not afraid to continue fighting… This is a battle we must win.”
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